J2Ski logo J2Ski logo
Login Forum Search Recent Forums

Offpiste advice for noobies

Offpiste advice for noobies

Login
To Create or Answer a Topic

Started by Tony_H in Ski Chatter - 67 Replies

J2Ski

Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Offpiste advice for noobies' posted Dec-2012

Dids1 wrote:This may have beem said in a previous post, but they are so long to go back over.
Is it possivle to hire appropriate gear for a week to save the cost of purchase and transport?
I did see you will be provided with it you hire a guide.



Yes, you can hire transceiver, shovel and probe and save on purchase costs, but transporting costs are negligible, you just throw everything in your suitcase -it won't even add much weight.

Andymol2
reply to 'Offpiste advice for noobies' posted Dec-2012

OldAndy wrote:
Tony_H wrote:
This is the whole crux of it.....whats off piste and what isnt? Between the pistes, itinerary routes, ski routes, etc.

I'm quite happy doing those at the moment, which I hadnt considered required additional insurance before now.

Ha ha!!
A lightbulb moment :D

and a valid point, particularly about itineries and free ride areas.


From - http://www.jsinsurance.co.uk/travel_insurance/off-piste-skiing-travel-insurance.html
Off Piste Skiing Travel Insurance:
Off piste skiing, also known as backcountry skiing, is skiing in rural areas that are not marked trails or ski slopes in unmaintained and non patrolled areas.
Off-Piste is defined for Travel Insurance purposes as when you are skiing or snowboarding in an area designated safe by the Resort Management.
Never go off-piste alone and always carry an avalanche transceiver, shovel and a probe.

and from Direct Travel - who I use.....
http://www.direct-travel.co.uk/faq/can-i-ski-and-snowboard-off-piste.aspx
Can I ski and snowboard off-piste?
Yes. Our winter sports travel policies allow you complete freedom of the mountains (as long as you are not skiing or snowboarding against local authority or resort management advice)

Personally I want the knowledge that wherever I end up, by design or accident, I am covered!

It does look like each insurer may have a slightly different wording - which could have an impact on itineraries for example.

I have no idea what your people would say if you crashed and needed rescuing from 20' past a blue pole - and more importantly perhaps what the view would be if you crashed into someone and seriously damaged them 20' from said pole.

If I were an insurer I would say "sorry, not covered, your outside the marked pistes and haven't got off-piste cover".

Now - whereas you could possible pull yourself back to the piste with a smashed knee or broken something or other - I doubt that the person you ran into would be that happy with you slinging them over your shoulder and taking them back to the piste so they could claim damages on your insurance!


I think direct travel are US owned - and they have a slightly different interpretation of on & off piste. In Europe we tend to interpret on piste as the strip that is strictly marked as such whereas you get the impression that in the US they have ski areas, with pisted runs and unbashed areas but they don't have the clear distinction of on & off piste that we have so their policies are worded differently.

I'm with them for that reason as some of the UK insurers take a very strict interpretation of what's on & off piste - like the bumps and jumps that are deliberately created at the edge of pistes for us to play on are outside the poles thus off piste. The same with the drop at the side of the piste into a car park or chalet - it's off piste but not necessarily an avalanche risk but marked as off piste because it's someones garden or chalet entrance.
Andy M

Adam67
reply to 'Offpiste advice for noobies' posted Dec-2012

Having read all posts now on this topic and become more concerned, I have checked my insurance and discovered Iam only covered off piste when with a guide. My family are on occasions taken just off piste in their lessons. Which makes me wonder, is an instructor classed as a guide? I do ski off piste myself, but nothing more than off the side of the piste. I dont intend on employing the services of a guide for this, so does Carte Neige or Carre Neige cover you without a guide? Iam looking at this from the insurance point of view. Thanks

Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Offpiste advice for noobies' posted Dec-2012

Yes, it does.

Topic last updated on 18-December-2012 at 06:01